Note: dated 26 VII 1901

58,
26/VII. 01 [Munich].

Dear P. B.! I have received and read carefully your letter 
(Alexei [Martov] too). I was very pleased that you set forth 
your remarks in such detail.

You are wrong only in thinking that 
I am excessively ("rather") "stubborn."

All your indications for softening particular passages (as well as all indications from G. V. [Plekhanov])
I have taken into account, i.e., I have softened things everywhere. "A kopeck to the ruble" 
will unite all workers: I added "in the opinion of the economists"
in parentheses. Instead of "limiting the autocracy" I put "destroying [it]," as you indicated. Pages 82—3, passages incautious in the sense 
of our views on the utilization of liberals (i.e., carelessly
expressed thoughts) I have s t r u c k  o u t  entirely, as you advised.
I also inserted a note with a reference to your pamphlet "The Historical Situation" with an indication that the question I touched upon only slightly you have analyzed thoroughly.
I inserted a couple of words to the effect that one can rejoice at the great understanding shown by liberals (in the person of R. N. S. [Struve]) toward the workers' movement.
I struck out entirely the "regret" at the appearance of Witte's memorandum with such a preface. I struck out several more sharp passages in both the first and second half of the article *). Generally, I am not at all so stubborn about partial softenings, but on principle I cannot only refuse to give up the idea of our right (and our obligation) to expose R. N. S. [Struve] for his political juggling. He is precisely a political juggler—reading and rereading the preface has finally convinced me of this, and into my critique I have introduced everything that the recent months have given us (i.e., the Verhandlungen with the "calf," the attempt at an agreement, etc. 2)—so to speak, I was venting my spleen, settling accounts with this subject. The clarification of the question concerning the constitutionalism of the zemstvo
V. I. LENIN — P. B. AXELROD*

LENIN MISCELLANY.

I considered to be the center of gravity of the entire article.
"Zemstvo" liberalism is—in the sphere of influencing society—the same thing as economism in the sphere of influencing workers. We must pursue both of these narrownesses.

Tomorrow the question of the article will probably be d e c i d e d among us. If it goes to print now, I shall try to send you one copy of the first proofs: [perhaps] you will point out something else and then we shall still have time to make corrections (while the first and second proofs are being corrected).

I shake your hand firmly and wish you a good rest and a good recovery. [Perhaps] is it better for you to send nothing temporarily? 
Not to spoil your vacation and treatment?

Yours, Petrov.

Write to Herrn Dr. Med. Carl Lehmann
Gabelsbergstrasse 20 a/11.
Munich (for Meyer inside).

*) The corrected 
passages of the article 
read as follows:
1) "Indeed, the slogan: 'rights and a powerful zemstvo' will unite, perhaps, a l l  liberals,—just as the slogan 'a kopeck to the ruble' (in the opinion of the economists) u n i t e s  a l l  
workers") (p. 66, Lenin. Collected Works, vol. V). Here words are inserted, standing in parentheses.
2) "And for what reason instead of the demand for the d e s t r u c t i o n  of absolutism is such a moderate and neat wish put forward as the concluding slogan" (p. 65, vol. V of Lenin's Collected Works).
The underlined word is put in place of what Vladimir Ilyich originally had—"limitation." 3) A note is inserted with a reference
to P. B. Axelrod's pamphlet "The Historical Situation and the Mutual Relationship of Liberal and Socialist Democracy in Russia." Geneva, 1898. The remaining corrections, in view of the absence of Lenin's manuscript at the Institute—it is impossible to establish at present.
2) Verhandlungen—trade, i.e., negotiations with Struve (the "calf")
about joint literary-political work. (See letter 25, note 1.)